546 A. II. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



that they had also sawed and hewed timber, intending to build a 

 vessel, in which to sail away. In another place he says that " they 

 have made a great deale of Tobacco." 



It is narrated by Governor Butler, by Capt. John Smith, and the 

 Rev. Mr. Hughes, that when the prospective settlers arrived at the 

 islands in 1612, they found that these men* had "an acre of good 

 corne [wheat, according to Mr. Hughesjf ripe and ready for the 

 gatherour; numbers of pompions [pumpkins], Indian beanes, many 

 tortoises ready taken, good store of hogge-flesh salted and made 

 into flitches of bacon." 



Therefore the actual first planting of the islands was begun by 

 Somers, or by these three pioneer men, in 1610. Very likely they 

 planted many other things, not mentioned here by name. 



There is a very important document, quoted above, relating to this 



* One of these men, Christopher Carter, had also remained on the islands 

 during the absence of Somers in Virginia. He was later (1616) one of the six 

 deputy governors appointed by Moore to rule by turns of a month each, but he 

 was an indolent ruler, too fond of his cups. Subsequently he visited London, 

 and, as is said by some, turned over to the Company another mass of ambergris. 



Governor Butler said that it was to demand his reward for finding the orig- 

 inal mass, and that that he had begun to take " dangerous courses," perhaps 

 to expose frauds in connection with the large mass of ambergris. However, 

 the Company gave him a "royal lease" to Cooper's Island, by which he was 

 entitled to all valuables or royalties that might be found there, including 

 ambergris, which was certainly a remarkable concession, at that time. 



Governor Butler said that it was in '• exchange for three lives," intimating 

 that it was to induce him not to expose the frauds of prominent members of the 

 Company. His acceptance or choice of Cooper's Island was explained later, 

 by his heirs, to have been because he believed he could find the Spanish trea- 

 sures, supposed to be buried there, from tablets and marks found on certain 

 trees. (See under Yellow-wood Tree, ch. 26.) He returned with the lease in 

 1622, and died before 1627, when the land passed into the possession of Capt. 

 Folgate, who actually found a lump of ambergris there, in 1627. and claimed 

 it as his own, which led to an investigation of the royal lease. (See p. 517, note.) 



Governor Butler considered Carter " a great foole," and thought that he had 

 been badly cheated in accepting Cooper's Island, but perhaps he was ignorant 

 of the clause concerning the royalties. The island contains 77 acres, but is not 

 very fertile. 



f Perhaps Hughes considered the Indian Corn a variety of " wheat," for writ- 

 ing in 1614, he said ; 



" And now that we have found out the right seasons of the yeare to set corne. 

 we are like, (by the blessinge of God) to have plenty of this eountrey wheate, 

 which is very good, large and faire, and more hearty and strong than our 

 English wheate." 



This remark would seem to apply to the Indian corn or maize, which was then 

 hardly known in England. "Wheat does not grow well in Bermuda. 



